Saturday, September 11, 2021

Being Different is Good

Being Different is Good 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Lord, I endeavor not to follow a crowd to do evil. I know that friendship with the world is enmity with You, Lord God. If I want to be a friend of the world I make myself Your enemy. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? What part have I, a believer, with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? I will not love the world or the things in the world. If I love the world, Your love, Father God, is not in me. The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but if I do Your will I will abide forever. I once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. I have not learned greedy uncleanness in Christ . . . for the truth is in Jesus. The world is tangible and its temptations, powerful. Lord, keep my eyes fixed on You and my heart rooted in Your truth so I love and serve You, not the world. 

ROMANS 12:2; EXODUS 23:2; JAMES 4:4; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14–16; 1 JOHN 2:15, 17; EPHESIANS 2:2; EPHESIANS 4:20–21

Dr. David Jeremiah Life-Changing Moments with God 

This opening verse could relate easily to the book title.  You want a changed life? Come to Christ. Jesus, when you do, loves you too much to leave you as He found you. 

Those in the Church of God ought to be different than those outside of it. 

Conformity is what we read into the worldly concept of inclusion and diversity.  These things that I see of so-called religious leaders of today claiming to speak together with one mind actually are...but not the mind of Christ Jesus. They speak as children of their father, the Devil, known as Satan. 

Jesus called out the Jewish leaders and told them who they were children of.  He taught and commanded those who followed Him to come out of this world's way of thinking. 

We who are in Christ are supposed to be different. Supposed to have Heavenly priorities. 
We aren't supposed to blend in so well with the world that those in the Church look no different than those outside of it. 

The Bible is the only transforming book where the Author is present every time you read it. 

Prayer takes the pray-er and brings them into Jesus’s presence in Heaven in an instant. 

We shouldn't want to be the same as we were before coming to Christ.  We should want to please the one who died and arose again to save us!

Do you at all strive to do what's right in God's eyes or your own?

Would you recognize the things that God calls an abomination in His sight?

Would you recognize the attributes of Godly living?

Would you recognize the attributes of the enemy of God?

After each of those questions place this question, "if I don't read my Bible?".

How would you know to hate what God hates if you aren't reading your Bible?

How would you know what God's love really is without hearing from Him?

To be a Disciple means to be a Learner. To be receptive of the instruction from your Master.  If you aren't willing to listen to your Master then you'd better question who is your Master?

What are you actively doing to learn more about what it means to be a Biblical Christian? That description is intentional. There's God's definition of what a Christian is and then there's the world's idea of what a Christian is. The professing Church is filled with many who likely are not saved.  They repeat words and maybe sing songs but there's not enough evidence to ever really convict them of being one.  Their lives do not show that they've been with Christ. 

Be sure of your salvation in Christ Jesus. Is there evidence that you walk with Jesus daily?
Are you putting forth the effort to learn from your Master?  Are you lying to yourself and are only looking for a "get out of Hell free" card?

Those in Christ will give an account of their lives before Christ. What you did for Him while here on Earth. Will you have anything to show?

Are you trying to blend in with the world?  To be friends with the world is to be against God. 
Scripture says that whenever possible be at peace with the world, doesn’t mean it will always be possible. Read in 2 Corinthians 4 about the things that the Apostles went through to be different in this world. Difficult circumstances followed. We may not see a peaceful life in this world. But it's worth it in the end. 

Look at what excites you. Is it things you do in life that pertain to the things of God or is it worldly things?  Are you more excited about what God's doing with you than your favorite sports team?  Be honest because He is there with you right now. You cannot lie to Christ. 

It takes effort to be different.  It takes intentionally saying no. It takes sacrifice. It takes obedience.  It means you taking up your own cross and following Christ. 

No comments:

Post a Comment